Glimmering glass beads can be threaded onto thin wire and shaped into flowers - a historical handicraft, rooted in Venice and its famous Murano glass. In this lavishly illustrated book, author and collector Georg Ragnar Levi tells the fascinating story how beaded flowers came to be loved and despised - at one point in history even banned. So-called French beaded flowers were created in homes, convents, prisons and workshops, and were used for ornamental and symbolic purposes at baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Dr. Levi guides us through the history, techniques, materials, and personal stories behind the craft, showing how the demand for wreaths and bouquets in the early 1900s became the bread and butter of many European families, and made the glassworks of Murano and Bohemia prosper. New bilingual edition in both English and French Inspiring and knowledgeable insights into a forgotten handicraft "A feast of discovery" according to reviews Look inside